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Wednesday, 2 November 2011

Brutal and Beautiful Murder Scene

*SPOILER ALEART for those who has not seen Gangster No.1”

As a child I never really enjoyed watching Disney and would much prefer watching; Schwarzenegger have a hand to hand combat with a Predator, see the killing spree maniac John Ryder throw himself at a moving car and be thrown back out in The Hitcher or be on the edge of my bed watching Ripley fight her way through endless about of Aliens. So my film collection as a child did start off quite odd and “bring your favourite film to school day” did get me in trouble when I showed up with Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs but hey I learnt more from films then I ever did in school.

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"Ganster smoking a cigarette and cursing at the victims lifeless body"

﻿One day my uncle came over and had a film in his hand but I wasn’t allowed to watch it and was sent to bed. He left the next day but without the film. Being alone and nothing to do I thought I should watch this film which was Gangster No.1. I’ve already seen Goodfellas, The Godfather Trilogy, Casino and Scarface but these films never somewhat made a bigger impact on me then Gangster No.1 did, mostly because of the beautiful brutal murder scene of Lenny Taylor. I’ve never seen in any film someone in his underwear with the Hi - Fi turned up so no one hears the screams torture someone in such a state with; ice pick, axes, machete even house hold items like wine bottles and fruit bowls. I was just blown away with this psychotic gangster kicking and shouting verbal abuse and finally killing Lenny ramming his face through a pane glass drink cabinet. I had to pause the film and take in what I just saw. The entire scene was shot in a point of view shot so all you see is what Lenny saw through his own eyes as images and sound slowly fades away and Lenny dies.You then see the a befuddled blood stained underwear smoking cigarette gangster sitting down still cursing at the victims lifeless body.

Lift Scene "I'M KING FUCKING KONG"

Some people my say I was traumatized from what I saw but I think that on that day and that very scene I knew I wanted to work in cinema. I’m not going go round stabbing and shooting people saying its beautiful murder rather actually I would want to create my own scene which I am personally writing right now. Even today I cannot believe how beautifully orchestrated that scene was and that being a murder scene somewhat juxtaposition what I’m saying being brutal and beautiful. The build up to the murder in captivated me with him just saying one words answer “I’m superman, KING FUCKING KONG, I’m filling up, FILLING UP”. You can the see psychotic madness in his eyes just in that 5second in the lift and that he’s getting closer and closer to Lenny. The massive yet elegant build up that we are shown, you would assume as soon as the Gangster is in the room he would start hacking away but instead takes his time. As if the Gangster is an artist looking at a plain canvas who is wounded Lenny and decides what he’s going to do? And in the end result you get a masterpiece.